The maiden flight of the world's longest aircraft has begun - after a previous attempt was abandoned at the last minute.
The Airlander 10 - which is part plane and part airship - took off from Cardington Airfield in Bedfordshire.
Its original test flight on Sunday was postponed, but it finally left the ground at 19:40 BST.
The £25m aircraft measures 302ft (92m) long and is about 50ft (15m) longer than the biggest passenger jets.
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:23 am
by Burning Petard
Priced out in English pounds, flying from someplace in the UK, so why does it say "United States Army on the side?
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 12:42 am
by Gob
Hybrid Air Vehicles Ltd. is a British manufacturer of aircraft known as hybrid airships. These hybrids use both aerodynamics and lighter-than-air (LTA) technology to generate lift, potentially allowing the vehicle to stay aloft for several weeks.
The company developed the HAV 3 technology demonstrator. This won it the US Army LEMV contract, in association with Northrop Grumman as the prime contractor, and led to the HAV 304. Following termination of the LEMV project, the HAV 304 was rebuilt as the Airlander 10. It is the largest aircraft flying today.
Perhaps that's why the article referred to it as a 'flying bum'?
Bummy McBumface?
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 5:48 pm
by Big RR
A flying bum loaded with gas--8 yea old boys would have a field day.
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Thu Aug 18, 2016 8:51 pm
by Econoline
If they used hydrogen rather than helium those 8YO boys could even light it on fire. Fun times for everyone!
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 1:14 am
by dales
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 5:10 am
by Bicycle Bill
MajGenl.Meade wrote:Perhaps that's why the article referred to it as a 'flying bum'?
Bummy McBumface?
Bummy McButtface. To many Americans, this is a not a bum:
This is:
-"BB"-
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:59 am
by kmccune
Gotta cry foul on this ,I think something very much fitting this profile has already flown .
A few years ago ,friends and me were shooting the breeze ,it was dark a little after dusk,when over the treetops something that looked like twin car headlights appeared over the treetops (almost skimming) this think was moving at an apparent speed of 35-50 mph,there was a very slight turbine sound and when it passed the profile lights on the back matched the outline of this airship .so what wuz' it ?
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:07 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
I could tell you but then I would have to kill you.
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:43 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
kmccune wrote:Gotta cry foul on this ,I think something very much fitting this profile has already flown .
A few years ago ,friends and me were shooting the breeze ,it was dark a little after dusk,when over the treetops something that looked like twin car headlights appeared over the treetops (almost skimming) this think was moving at an apparent speed of 35-50 mph,there was a very slight turbine sound and when it passed the profile lights on the back matched the outline of this airship .so what wuz' it ?
Could be. Hybrid Air Vehicles of the UK built the platform which was shipped to the USA. The ship was assembled for the Army in the USA by Northrup Grumman as the HAV304.
On 7 August 2012 the first test flight of an LEMV was completed in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
There were other test flights before the airship was cancelled. HAV purchased the... er HAV..., shipped it back to the UK, refurbished it and then gave it the maiden flight as the "Airlander" per the news stories.
LEMV is Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle. Not so long on the endurance apparently.
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 7:37 pm
by oldr_n_wsr
what makes it "Multi-Intelligent"?
Multicore processors?
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 9:13 pm
by kmccune
@ Maj ,could be ,the military has a history of testing newer aircraft around here , there was a weird aircraft spotted that looked like it had light bulbs depending from the bottom of the craft .
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 10:42 pm
by MajGenl.Meade
Odd things happen in many places - a few years back in DC, I was by the Korean war memorial when an aircraft took off from some place close by. It was a tilt rotor - maybe the Osprey - and it changed pitch not far above us and then flew round the Lincoln Memorial.
Re: Airlander 10
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 10:38 am
by kmccune
I agree ,many gee whiz things that have become commonplace,had their roots in black projects .
